Jefferson Parish voters reject school tax renewal

Jefferson Parish voters rejected a 7-mill property tax renewal Saturday for the parish's schools. The tax, which generates more than $23 million annually, funds general operating costs for the district and is about 30 percent of the total amount the district collects in property taxes.

The tax funds everything from school building repairs to maintenance to textbook purchases, and board members had said that if the tax was not renewed, the results would have been "devastating."

In previous years, the school district has had to close schools and lay off employees as a result of its tight budget. The millage, which was instated in 1994, comes up for renewal every ten years. It was set to expire in 2014.